Nigredo is the first stage of the transmutation of the philosophers stone. While not complicated in concept, it requires profound suffering, courage, and deep realisation to reach this transformative phase, often symbolised by a raven or dark bird.

Nigredo, meaning blackness or darkness, begins with the prima materia – our raw substance of subjective experience, including perceptions, feelings, thoughts and consciousness. Before spiritual awakening, we operate from a place of ignorance about our deeper self.

Those who experience continuous success may never need to confront their flaws until faced with mortality. However, many encounter a moment when life’s inherent unfairness becomes apparent, making material success insufficient for contentment.

The Modern Experience of Nigredo

In contemporary life, this manifests as neurosis – anxiety, depression, or both. We recognize our capacity for both goodness and destructiveness, discovering our “shadow” self. Until we acknowledge this shadow, we project these qualities onto others, fostering ill-will.

Accepting our shadow brings painful recognition that we cause much of our own suffering. The answer lies beyond our current self, leading to a “dark night of the soul” where we surrender our struggles.

The Three Fetters

From Buddhist tradition, three primary fetters bind us to suffering:

• The Fetter of Personality View – losing identification with both wholesome and unwholesome aspects of self
• The Fetter of Rights and Rituals – recognizing the superficiality of societal conventions
• The Third Fetter – discovering the possibility of transformation through faith in a better way

The Transformative Process

The Philosophers Stone represents our subjective awareness as spiritual seekers. When the first three fetters dissolve, we confront the dark truth that answers lie beyond our current understanding. Our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and consciousness require transformation through alchemical work.

© 2024 Dr Simon Robinson

Further Exploration of Nigredo

Video Resources:

• Carl Jung and The Shadow Self
• Understanding Alchemy: The First Stage
• Dark Night of the Soul

Further Reading:

• Nigredo – Wikipedia
• Buddhist Fetters – Wikipedia
• Prima Materia – Wikipedia